A Little Competition
by Addictedtobooks
Summary: It's Mei and Al's son's birthday and the uncles are competing again. Ling begins to get on Ed's nerves and he needs a few comforting words from Winry. Just a cute little fluff fic that I've been thinking about since I finished FMA: Brotherhood.


"Happy birthday, dear John, happy birthday to you!" Cheers and claps broke out as the small dark haired boy blew five candles out on his cake.

Ed smiled, feeling like a little kid again as he went to push a big present in front of his nephew, "Open it up!" he yelled, receiving an eye roll from Winry. John began to grin and as Al gave the okay he tore the present's wrap off to discover a train set.

"Thanks Uncle Ed!" The boy said, the box completely rid of its wrappings.

"And?" Mei prompted, as she gave her son a scolding look.

"Oh, and Aunt Winry, Tricia, and James," John adds, a sheepish grin on his face as went to give his aunt a small kiss on the cheek and his cousins a bigger grin.

"Well now that that is over…" Ling said, a large box in his hands that was full of holes on the wrappings, "Open this one."

The smile that lit up John's face radiated happiness, making Ed feel a little jealous already, "What is it?" he asked Winry, mumbling to her. She only gave him a look and a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Open it!" Ling and Lan Fan said together, their smiles and Lings wink making Ed feel even worse. John ripped the paper as he was told to and his smile grew even more.

"A puppy!" His yells made the small dog bark and wag his tail in a friendly manner. John's face lit up more than before as Ed's fell. Ed's mind began to race through possibilities of how he could top Ling's present again.

"So John," He started as he knelt in front of his nephew, and the new puppy, "There is a reason we got you a train set," he told the boy, swatting his dog away gently as it tried to jump up onto Ed.

"There is?" John asked, his laughs at the dog and his uncle making Ed grin a bit. On instinct Ed's glance wandered it's way towards Winry, who's face mirrored their nephew's question.

"Of course there is!" Ed began, darting his eyes away from Winry, "Aunt Winry and I are going to take you on a train ride." Ed told him, as he smiled sheepishly towards Winry who only looked more confused than before.

"We are?" Winry's voice was a hiss in Ed's ear as he stood back up, but she still held a calm smile on her face.

Ed scratched the back of his neck and laughed casually, "Yeah! Of course we are,"

John's grin was huge as he left to play with his cousins and new puppy, "So, Ed," Mei began as she walked towards her brother-in-law, "Where are you taking John?"

Ed shrugged, "Wherever the little tyke wants to go."

Ling's laugh cut through their conversation, "Bring him to come see us! He will love Xing!"

"If, uh, that's where he wants to go then we will take him to Xing," Ed said, a frown on his face as he shrugged.

Ling's grin made a return, "Perfect! John, did you hear that? Uncle Ed says he is going to bring you to come see Lan Fan and I in the summer!"

John's small face popped up from behind his dog, "Really? Yay!" But Ed only grumbled softly and slowly made his way to the snacks his brother had set out.

"Smile, Ed," Al said, giving him a nudge with his elbow, as the younger brother chuckled. "This is a day to celebrate, not fight with Ling."

"Well it's hard to celebrate when he keeps showing me up," Ed hissed through clenched teeth, his grip tight on the glass in front of him.

Winry began to walk over, grabbing a napkin and tried to wipe Ed's mouth despite a hand that swatted her away, "Ed, will you please step back for a minute and look at the big picture? Stop fighting Ling for the best uncle award for five minutes and realize you do have something over him." At this Ed's face lit up again manically, "You're a great father, Ling doesn't have that." Winry pointed out, eyebrows raised. She shook her head once more and went back to wiping his face, "I swear Ed, sometime you are such a child, when will you…"

Ed blinked, his hand put to a still from its swatting as Winry continued. His eyes wandered past her and Al to where his two golden haired kids sat on the floor near the train set. "Tricia, will you please pass me that piece?" the boy asked, pointing to a piece near his sister.

"This?" The three year old asks as she held the piece up. Once her brother nodded she handed it to him carefully. Ed continued to watch as his nephew and the puppy went to join, all of them beginning to play and laugh.

"And you know," Winry spoke, recapturing the attention of Ed, "You aren't that bad of a husband either." She finished with a quick kiss on his cheek, before he quickly went off to play with the three kids and puppy.

Al put his hand on Winry's shoulder as a smirk grew on his face, "A good husband? I thought you told Mei he never helps out?"

"He doesn't," Winry spoke simply, "He acts just like one of the kids."

Al's smirk took a turn towards confusion, "So he isn't a good husband?"

Winry laughed at her friend's reaction, "No, Al, he is. The fact that he acts like a kid makes him a good husband, and an even greater father." She explained, smirking as she watched Ed play with the kids.

"Well, you're right… he sure does act like a kid." Al agreed, and they watched as Ed fought over a piece of train set with the puppy.


End file.
